Seasons (reference from fish and wildlife site)

Striped bass angling is done all year, but fishing localities vary seasonally in accordance with the striped bass migratory pattern. During the winter, striped bass are spread from San Francisco Bay throughout the Delta and fishing is generally poor because stripers do not feed actively when the water is cold. However, good catches of large fish still are made occasionally.

Fishing success improves as the water warms up in March. Stripers that winter in the bays start moving upstream to fresh water for spawning. During the spring, the bulk of the legal population is spread throughout the Delta and as far north as Colusa and Princeton on the Sacramento River. Good fishing can be expected throughout the spawning area at this time. Occasionally, some good catches of either early spawning, or late migrating, bass are made in the bays during the spring. By mid-June, most legal-sized bass have left fresh water and returned to the bays. During the summer and fall, striped bass fishing is at its peak in San Francisco Bay. Trollers and live bait drifters make good catches with regularity in Raccoon Strait, at the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, at submerged rocky reefs in central San Francisco Bay, and off Alcatraz and Treasure Islands. In some years, large numbers of bass migrate into the Pacific Ocean and many are caught just off the beach by charter boat anglers. Summer surf casting from the San Francisco beaches is occasionally very successful. Shore angling is sporadically good in some areas of South San Francisco Bay during the spring and summer. The fall migration of bass to the Delta may start as early as October, even though fishing may still be excellent in San Francisco and San Pablo bays at this time. The beginning of the fall migration is marked by good fishing in Suisun Bay. Bait fishing in the Delta improves gradually with the movement of bass into the area, and then declines as the water temperature drops and the winter rains begin.

Charter Boats

Many charter boat operators in the bays and guides in the Delta and on the upper Sacramento River make a business of taking anglers striped bass fishing for a fee. Each individual usually brings his own fishing tackle, although rental tackle is often available. A trip on such a boat provides an excellent opportunity for inexperienced anglers to learn how to fish successfully for striped bass. Generally, the average catch per angler on such boats is high because of the experience of the operator in locating schools of bass and in knowing how best to fish at a particular time and place. Reservations are desirable for trips on charter boats and they are usually handled by phone through a bait shop. The classified sections of telephone directories should be consulted under "Fishing Parties" to obtain more information or make reservations. The preceding section on fishing seasons should be consulted to determine the general area to select for a fishing trip at any particular time of year.

Private Boats

Many anglers prefer to fish from private boats because they provide greater privacy and more freedom than charter boats in selecting fishing spots. In San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun bays, anglers should only use boats that are large enough to withstand the rough seas that develop when strong winds come up. Smaller boats are well suited to the more sheltered fishing grounds such as the Napa River and its marsh, the Suisun Marsh, the sloughs of the Delta, and the upper Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. A few resorts rent skiffs and outboard motors. Locations where boats can be launched or rented are indicated on the map.

Shore and Pier Fishing

Fishing from shore is generally less productive than boat fishing, but is practiced by many anglers and sometimes is highly rewarding. Numerous favored bank-fishing spots are scattered throughout the fishing area. During spring, the Sacramento River from Courtland to Colusa is one of the most popular areas. The San Joaquin River near Stockton is popular during spring and fall. San Francisco Bay also produces some good shore fishing during summer and fall. Favored locations include the Berkeley Fishing Pier, the shoreline near Ashby Avenue in Berkeley, and the area in south San Francisco Bay around Candlestic

General Commercial Regulations (reference from fish and wildlife site)

General Commercial Regulations
All salmon except coho (silver) salmon; all commercial salmon must be landed in California
Single point, single shank barbless hooks are required
No more than 6 lines are allowed per vessel
Compliance with minimum size or other special restrictions: All salmon on board a vessel must meet the minimum size and other special requirements for the area being fished and the area in which they are landed if that area is open or has been closed less than 48 hours. Salmon may be landed in an area that is closed more than 48 hours only if they meet the minimum size and other special requirements for the area in which they were caught and it is not otherwise prohibited in the regulations.
Paper reporting requirements: Any person required to complete a landing receipt for the landing of salmon shall on the same landing receipt accurately record the total number of salmon landed in the “Note Pad” field of the landing receipt. Any person who lands salmon shall keep a copy of all landing receipts documenting salmon landings on board the fishing vessel that caught the salmon until 15 days after the last salmon season closure for the calendar year (§182 T14 CCR, §8043 Fish &Game Code).
Electronic reporting requirements: Beginning on July 1, 2019 any fish receiver or fisherman with a fisherman's retail license shall record landing information on an electronic fish ticket (§197 T14 CCR).
Transit through closed area with salmon on board: It is unlawful for a vessel to have troll gear in the water while transiting any area closed to salmon fishing while possessing salmon.
Barbless circle hooks1 required when fishing with bait and fishing by any means other than trolling2
A CIRCLE HOOK is defined as a hook with a generally circular shape and a point which turns inwards, pointing directly to the shank at a 90-degree angle.
TROLLING is defined as angling from a boat or floating device that is making way by means of a source of power, other than drifting by means of the prevailing water current or weather conditions.
Note: When Pacific halibut are caught and landed incidentally in the commercial salmon troll fishery under an authorized license, both the number of Pacific halibut landed and the number of salmon landed must be recorded on the landing receipt or electronic fish ticket. Please see federal regulations for incidental Pacific halibut harvest requirements and restrictions.

*Klamath Control Zone: The ocean area at the Klamath River mouth bounded on the north by 41°38'48" N. lat. (approximately 6 nautical miles north of the Klamath River mouth); on the west, by 124°23'00" W. long. (approximately 12 nautical miles off shore); and on the south, by 41°26'48" N. lat. (approximately 6 nautical miles south of the Klamath River mouth).